Stuff I Like

I know The Fall is something of an acquired taste, but I think this is almost as good as the lyrebird video. Just much louder.



***

While I'm recommending good things, I suggest everyone subscribes to the Collings and Herrin podcast. You can download mp3s here, or subscribe on iTunes. If you've never downloaded a podcast before, you should give it a try. It's good to be able to download a chunk of generally funny stuff every week. Even if you don't listen to it on a mp3 player, it's pretty fun to listen to some spontaneous banter, especially if you share their sense of humour.

This one is by Andrew Collins and Richard Herring (despite what the title may suggest). Collins used to do a radio show on BBC 6music, and Herring would join in to review the week's papers. This new podcast is a bit like that, except they're able to swear. It is quite amateurish in its production, with is all the more endearing.

Collins is a journalist and writer, and Herring is a comedian. I've probably written about the latter here before, but he used to be one half of Lee and Herring (guess which one) who did Fist of Fun and This Morning With Richard Not Judy. He's also a stand-up (you can by his DVDs here, I recommend Someone Likes Yoghurt). Also (and I'm sure I have written about this before), was in the audience when I did stand-up once, but was too scared to talk to him.

I've probably mentioned this before too, but he writes a daily blog/diary which is usually a good read, and may have inspired me to write this one. Collins also does a blog which is worth checking out.

Anyway, subscribe to the podcast, even of you don't want to listen to it, as they seem (Collins in particular) to be boyishly excited by how well the 'cast does in the iTunes rankings. It makes them seem like real people, which I like in a celebrity, as it makes it seem like they were once like me. Except even the laziest celebrity probably tried harder than I do. But I like to fool myself.

***

Writing the above entries has reminded my how annoying I find it when people are intent on telling you how great something is, or what an amazing person someone is. Unless they're talking about me, or someone I already know, it just seems like gloating.

"You haven't heard of X? Oh, they're amazing."

Yeah? Well I hate X. And I hate anyone who likes X. As far as I'm concerned, X is a C

(unt).